I Saw It But I Still Don't Believe It

It's going to take a while for this U.S. Open to seem real.

What happened Sunday afternoon at Winged Foot was beyond anyone's imaginaton. It was so bad it was funny.

To use the old cliche, Geoff Ogilvy didn't win the Open. The Open won him.

He's as shocked as anyone he's the winner.

Jean Van de Velde couldn't have done it better than Phil Mickelson did. All he had to do was par the last hole and the left-hander is going for the Slam. Then, before you could say Van de Velde, Mickelson is gone.

Choke? What do you think?

He hit a tent for crying out loud. He was lucky his tee shot didn't bounce over the tent and land somewhere on the other side.

There was a time when what Mickelson did would have caused us to roll our eyes and say we should've seen it coming. But we didn't see this collapse coming. It was obvious Sunday he wasn't as sharp as in some other majors but you had to love his chances needing a par to win and a bogey to play off.

Personally, I hated seeing Colin Montgomerie throw his chance away on the 18th hole. I'm a huge fan of his and would have loved to have seen him win. But, to his credit, he put on a cheery face when it was over, something he might not have done a few years back.

Seeing Mickelson tryng to explain what happened early Sunday evening was almost awkward. It was like he'd just stepped out of a bad accident. He looked emotionally devastated and he probably was.

He's said before he usually spends two or three days laying in bed after a major championship. It may be weeks before he gets up after this one.

A Hot, Sweaty March To The Finish

It's hot today at Winged Foot.

Sticky, sweaty, stay on the couch in the air-conditioning hot, with temperatures expected to top out around 95 with enough humidity that it feels like the lowcountry in August.

But it's Sunday at the U.S. Open and it's stuffed with possibilities because the USGA has made the course set-up too hard. Two-over par was the lead after 54 holes, the first time since 1974 the third-round leader has been over par. That was Tom Watson who was 4-over after three rounds at -- guess where -- Winged Foot.

The set-up is so severe that one swing can cost several shots, leaving the tournament open to anyone within four or five shots. Then there's the added pressure of someone going out in front of the leaders, shooting a good score -- 69 would be great -- and posting an early number that tells everyone what they have to do.

If, say, Luke Donald shoots 69 and finishes at 6-over par, it would reduce the wiggle room the leaders have.

Keep an eye on Vijay Singh, who won last week and is lurking three back as the final 18 holes begin. He hasn't putted particularly well this year but one good day today would change everything.

As for co-leader Kenneth Ferrie, the last Open rookie to win the championship was Francis Ouimet in 1913, which doesn't bode well for Ferrie's chances. On the plus side, though, Ouimet's victory was so inspiring a movie was made about it.

The focus, though, is on Phil Mickelson. He handled hot, miserable conditions in winning the PGA Championship at Baltusrol in August so that doesn't seem to be a qustion. He has prepared extensively for this moment and carries a notebook in pocket detailing every tee shot, approach shot, pitch shot and putt he expects to face at Winged Foot.

The heat is on.

It's Not Over...But It's Close

The temptation is to say Phil Mickelson won the U.S. Open Saturday afternoon with two back-nine birdies that turned a dull tournament into a potential piece of history.

Temptations get you in trouble, though.

Still, I think Mickelson wins the Open today, hugs the trophy he's nearly won three times before and goes to the British Open chasing his own Slam.

It wasn't long ago we were wondering how Mickelson might mess up another chance to win a major. Now we're wondering if anyone can beat him.

Mickelson is the best player in the world right now, regardless of what the world rankings say. He's in control of his game, has a clear plan for playing Winged Foot and it's tough to imagine Kenneth Ferrie beating him today.

But Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan and Andy North won two U.S. Opens.

If Mickelson doesn't win, don't be surprised if Geoff Ogilvy does. Steadily, Ogilvy has elevated himself among the game's best players. He's not as familiar as Sergio Garcia or Ernie Els but he's more dangerous right now.

This seemed like a perfect Open for Jim Furyk, but he began fading from the chase Saturday afternoon, falling four strokes behind. Plus, Furyk doesn't have a top-10 finish in his last five majors, a surprising stat for such a good player.

Finding David Duval

As the third round of the U.S. Open begins, it's still possible that David Duval -- remember him? -- could win the championship.

Really.

It's not likely but the fact it's still possible is intriguing enough.

Duval has been lost in the wilderness for years, wandering off in search of tee shots that went screeching sideways and leaving those of us on the outside looking in wondering how much desire remains in the tank of a man who has never let us get behind those wraparound shades.

Duval's fall from golf's pedestal to the place where double bogeys live has been one of the great crashes ever. But Duval, who still maintains his gruff streak, has been adamant in telling the world that he's happier than he's ever been and he believes his game is coming back.

It's hard to believe that Duval will stay in the chase at Winged Foot because of his problems driving the ball in play in recent years. But as he stood on a podium addressing the media early Friday evening, he didn't seem the least bit surprised he had been on the leader board much of the afternoon.

If Duval were to somehow win this Open, it would be beyond stunning. Regardless, having him show up in contention is great to see. He has been through a wickedly rough patch and he's coming out of it.

Duval has never been easy to love from a spectator's standpoint and he still seems exasperated with any question he's asked. But he's become a sentimental favorite now -- and maybe more than that.

We'll find out this weekend.

Tiger Checks Out

After careful consideration, USGA officials decided Friday afternoon to finish the U.S. Open this weekend despite the fact Tiger Woods is going to miss the cut.

The only lingering question Friday afternoon was whether anyone would make the cut. That's how tough Winged Foot has been.

Tiger's tale was a short, sorry one by golf standards.

He couldn't drive it straight and he couldn't make enough putts to save himself. It doesn't take Johnny Miller to figure out that's a recipe for trouble.

Walking around watching Woods chasing the cut line Friday morning, the gallery was almost eerily subdued. But there wasn't much to cheer about. Not just with Tiger but with everyone playing.

Winged Foot is so hard, there's no way to generate any momentum. Woods found out as harshly as anyone. He looked like a lost soul at times, slashing at shots from the rough then slumping when his ball went somewhere he wished it hadn't.

As Woods walked onto the ninth green (his final hole) Friday at lunch time, he had no real chance of making the cut and knew it. There was no standing ovation for his having tied Jack Nicklaus' record of making the cut in 39 consecutive major championships.

Instead, there was polite applause. One guy yelled, 'Go Tiger!' Then, reminding everyone this is New York, another guy yelled, 'Let's go, Jets!'

Tiger will go somewhere this weekend, maybe on a nice slow yacht ride down the east coast back to his home in Florida. The Open will go on without him. But it won't feel the same.

Who Says They're Not Athletes?

There is a portion of the population that questions whether professional golfers should be considered athletes.

They see Tim 'Lumpy' Herron and think, 'Hey, doesn't that guy work downstairs in receiving?'

They see Mark Calcavecchia and think, 'Didn't he used to be really good?"

Well, last week we were reminded again of what finely tuned athletes pro golfers really are.

Jim Furyk, who won the Wachovia Championship in Charlotte last month and may win the U.S. Open this week, was forced to withdraw from the Barclays Classic because he hurt himself -- taking an Aleve.

Only a world-class athlete can do that.

Furyk had finished brushing his teeth and popped a pill into his mouth. In his words, he "hunched over the sink and I kind of tossed my head back in a quick motion and it seems I probably pinched something in my lower neck, upper back area."

I hate when that happens.

Suddenly, Furyk's neck locked up like a bad computer and he had to withdraw from one of his favorite events on tour.

After a couple of days, Furyk's condition improved and now he's in the Open, which is a pain in the neck of a different sort.

Be Nice To Monty

For whatever reason -- most likely his personality -- Colin Montgomerie has never been a favorite of American golf fans.

And that's too bad.

Monty can be a blast. He can also be petulant, rabbit-eared and maddening. But he's great to have around.

Monty's opening-round 69 in the U.S. Open didn't just thrust him atop the leaderboard by lunch time, it put him back in the New York golf consciousness. Remember when Monty came to the U.S. Open at Bethpage four years ago, Golf Digest magazine mounted a 'Be Nice To Monty' campaign that included big red and white buttons for fans to wear.

It amused Monty, who summon a thunderstorm in his mood quicker than most people, and he laughed about it again Thursday. He has been one of his generation's best players, winning the European Tour's Order of Merit eight times. But because he has never won a major championship and struggled to win hearts, some question his eventual place in the Hall of Fame.

Monty has a way to making life difficult on himself by speaking his mind and tromping around the world's great golf courses with his lower lip pushed up like a three-year old's. He says he's softened some now and there's no question the burden of expectations has lessened for Monty, who has been one of the great players in Ryder Cup history.

Because he's Monty, the London tabloids use him like the New York tabloids use Paris Hilton. Monty can do nothing in private and his personal life, which has had its share of bumps, is prime material for the tabs.

When asked about the state of his bachelorhood Thursday, the cheery Monty played along, noting writers from two London tabs had just left the interview room.

"It's all right now...you can ask that question," Monty smiled. "You're not getting an answer but you can ask the question. Socially, I'm very happy, okay?"

Golf-wise, he was even better -- at least for the day.

Be Nice To Monty

For whatever reason -- most likely his personality -- Colin Montgomerie has never been a favorite of American golf fans.

And that's too bad.

Monty can be a blast. He can also be petulant, rabbit-eared and maddening. But he's great to have around.

Monty's opening-round 69 in the U.S. Open didn't just thrust him atop the leaderboard by lunch time, it put him back in the New York golf consciousness. Remember when Monty came to the U.S. Open at Bethpage four years ago, Golf Digest magazine mounted a 'Be Nice To Monty' campaign that included big red and white buttons for fans to wear.

It amused Monty, who summon a thunderstorm in his mood quicker than most people, and he laughed about it again Thursday. He has been one of his generation's best players, winning the European Tour's Order of Merit eight times. But because he has never won a major championship and struggled to win hearts, some question his eventual place in the Hall of Fame.

Monty has a way to making life difficult on himself by speaking his mind and tromping around the world's great golf courses with his lower lip pushed up like a three-year old's. He says he's softened some now and there's no question the burden of expectations has lessened for Monty, who has been one of the great players in Ryder Cup history.

Because he's Monty, the London tabloids use him like the New York tabloids use Paris Hilton. Monty can do nothing in private and his personal life, which has had its share of bumps, is prime material for the tabs.

When asked about the state of his bachelorhood Thursday, the cheery Monty played along, noting writers from two London tabs had just left the interview room.

"It's all right now...you can ask that question," Monty smiled. "You're not getting an answer but you can ask the question. Socially, I'm very happy, okay?"

Golf-wise, he was even better -- at least for the day.

The Rough Stuff

In case you haven't heard enough already about the thick rough at this U.S. Open, you're going to hear more about it as the tournament unfolds. The rough. Phil and Tiger. Brangelina's new baby. That's what everyone is talking about.

Well, there was the salacious news in one of the tabloids this week about Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan getting into an insult contest when they crossed paths at one of those places where the rich and unexplainably famous like to hang out and pretend they don't like to have their pictures taken.

But back to the rough -- which is where David Toms kept going on Thursday.

It really is manageable if you keep it in the first two layers. But if you get it in the broccoli, you're steamed.

With inside the ropes access here, the media can tromp through the thick stuff and it's like walking through the heavy sand at the top of the beach -- only not as hot. It's so long, it slows your feet down, not that many of us media types are quick afoot anyway.

But it's the U.S. Open. It's supposed to be that way.

The Tabloid Tiger

The name of Tiger Woods' $20 million yacht is Privacy -- for all the obvious reasons.

But it can't hide him from the New York tabloids.

Woods is spending U.S. Open week on his yacht in a small harbor not far from Winged Foot and the New York Post found out where.

The paper had a story Wednesday morning of Woods and his boat, detailing his Tuesday morning activities. Two staff writers had a story describing Woods' on the deck of his boat at 6 a.m. playing with his border collie, Taz, before grabbing his golf shoes and heading to his Buick.

Walking to his car, Woods heard a photographer snapping photos and, according to the paper, said, "It's a little early to be taking pictures out there, isn't it?"

Then Woods took off, telling the photographer to "Have a nice day" or something like that.

The Other Teenager From Hawaii

Tadd Fujikawa is loving every minute of his U.S. Open experience.

A rising high school sophomore in Hawaii, the 15-year old Fujikawa is just loving life, since he wasn't expected to have one.

Fujikawa was born 3 1/2 months prematurely and weighed just 31 ounces. His skin was opaque and his lungs hadn't developed.

"The doctors didn't even consider him an infant," his mother, Lori Fujikawa, said. "They said, 'You have a fetus.'"

Fujikawa obviously survived and went on to become a four-time national judo champion. After winning his fourth as a 12-year old, Fujikawa decided to turn his attention to something else -- golf.

He made a 65-foot birdie putt in sudden-death to advance in the local qualifying event for the Open then he won the only available spot in the sectional qualifier in Hawaii where a certain other local teenager -- Michelle Wie -- would have played had she not been on the East Coast to play the LPGA Championship.

So Fujikawa is at Winged Foot and she isn't.

Asked who is the best high school golfer in Hawaii, Fujikawa answered, "Boys or girls?"

He doesn't know Wie, other than having said hello to her. While she gets her attention, Fujikawa is getting his this week.

He's small -- just 5-1 and weighing 135 pounds -- but he averages 280 yards off the tee and has a goal of making the cut this weekend.

"Who wouldn't be excited?" Fujikawa said. "It's the Open. It doesn't matter what age you are."

Can Arnie Come In?

On Monday night, Arnold Palmer was the special guest at an annual Rolex dinner held this year in the Winged Foot clubhouse.

But it took Arnie a while to get into the place.

Palmer arrived at Winged Foot with a couple of business associates but the security outside the club wouldn't let them inside because they lacked the necessary credentials. After 25 minutes and several phone calls, Palmer and his party were allowed inside where they were fashionably late to their own party.

"It's easier to win the Open than to get into this one," Palmer said upon climbing out of his car.

Welcome Back Tiger

Tiger Woods spent half an hour Tuesday afternoon in the Open media center, talking for the first time about the death of his father, Earl, last month.

Woods remained composed throughout the session while talking about how much he will miss his father, who died May 3.

There were no great surprises in what Woods had to say but it was apparent there is still a sadness in him. He talked about the memories of his father that came rushing back when he went back to work on his golf game, remembering all the times he spent with his dad on practice tees and courses.

"I will miss him every day that I live," Woods said.

Woods said he went more than a month without touching a club and has had to polish the rust off his game. Before anyone dismisses his chances this week because of his nine-week layoff, it's worth remembering after his two previous long layoffs -- following knee surgery and a six-week break after the 2005 season -- Woods won his first start back both times.

Winged Foot: Dripping money, style

This looks like a U.S. Open.

Not that Pinehurst and Pebble Beach and Shinnecock Hills don't have their own distinctive and diabolical charms, but Winged Foot is one of those classic northeastern rich-guy clubs that drip money and born-into-it style.

Winged Foot is the kind of place that separates the merely rich from the wealthy. The clubhouse looks like stately Wayne Manor. The road into the clubhouse -- if you were able to get past the myriad levels of security fanned out around the place -- features two stacked-stone pillars with small bronze plaques identifying it as Winged Foot.

No doubt it looks better without all the white tents and gallery ropes required by the Open but it's still a strikingly handsome place. There are two courses at Winged Foot and the East Course is being used as a parking lot and staging ground -- and it's ranked as the 34th best course in this country.

The West Course, where the Open is being played, is all about big trees, deep rough and greens that move like a churning ocean. Perhaps it's best that Michelle Wie didn't qualify given her trouble holing putts these days. If, by the way, Wie ever figures out how to putt, the possibilities are extaordinary.

Given the USGA's fixation on par, the pre-tournament guessing game always centers on projecting the winning score. Just a guess but somewhere around 2 or 3-under par will probably be good enough to earn someone a dose of golfing immortality.